NEW YORK — New research from Attentive shows that the first quarter has become a crucial time for brands to turn holiday shoppers into long-term customers, as AI increasingly shapes how consumers discover, evaluate, and buy products.
Attentive’s 2026 State of Loyalty and Retention report and its January 2026 Consumer Pulse show that Q1 is the best time for brands to build relationships with first-time Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers. The surveys combine regular consumer and marketer polling with aggregated data from over 8,000 brands.
“AI is playing a larger role in the overall shopping experience, making it even more critical for brands to engage customers in authentic, personalized ways,” said Keri McGhee, chief marketing officer at Attentive.
AI Adoption Accelerates Across Generations
The January Consumer Pulse revealed that 70% of consumers now use AI-powered tools to support shopping, from discovery to purchase. Adoption is growing quickly among older shoppers, with 45% of baby boomers reporting AI shopping usage, up from 34% during the 2025 Black Friday/Cyber Monday period.
Consumer comfort with AI-driven experiences is also increasing. Sixty percent of shoppers say they are willing to let brands use AI for personalization, indicating growing trust as retailers and brands expand AI investments across marketing channels.
Personalization Drives Retention
The research emphasizes AI’s role in enabling faster, more relevant, and more intuitive interactions. Brands are increasingly tailoring content to specific channels, using email for storytelling, SMS for immediacy, and push notifications for in-app engagement.
“SMS is our most strategic way of curating the conversational commerce experience for our shoppers,” said NJ Falk, managing partner at APL, noting that high-touch personalization has helped build long-term loyalty.
Q1 Repeat Purchases Set the Tone
Attentive’s data indicates that 73% of consumers plan to repurchase from at least some new brands they discovered during the holidays, highlighting the importance of Q1 engagement. While promotions encourage initial conversions, seamless experiences and consistent value are essential for securing repeat business as AI becomes integrated into the buyer journey.
The findings indicate that brands investing early in Q1 personalization and AI-driven engagement are better equipped to convert seasonal shoppers into loyal, repeat customers.
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